1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to apparatus and a method for dispensing a beverage in which pressurized water is used to propel beverage concentrate and is then exhausted to a drain.
2. Prior Art
The prior art devices include the apparatus and method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,261. Further examples of the prior art are B. G. Copping U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,210; E. S. Wegman U.S. Pat. No. 2,502,610 and N. L. Luster U.S. Pat. No. 2,538,111. All of these examples of the prior art disclose beverage dispensers which utilize the energy available in and from pressurized water to propel beverage concentrate to a mixing head.
For example, in the dispensing of carbonated beverages it is common to use and mix 5 parts of water and 1 part of syrup by volume to form a finished palatable beverage. In these prior devices, 1 part of water is bypassed or backed up to displace and propel 1 equal quantity of concentrate from a water actuated metering chamber or pump to a mixing head. As will be appreciated, when a cup is filled with beverage, the dispenser operator closes the dispensing valve or valves and terminates dispensing.
The problem then presented is what to do with or how to dispose of the 1 part of propellent water that is left in the concentrate chamber. The given examples of the prior art all dribble the water out the dispensing head or mixing head after the drink is dispensed and during this dribbling of water, the concentrate chamber is refilled with concentrate for the next dispensing cycle.
This problem was recognized by B. G. Copping and his solution is disclosed in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,982. Copping provides a solution for post or after-dispensing dribble of propellent water from a dispensing apparatus such as that in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,210.
Copping's solution is to remove the simple and single element on-off dispensing control valve in the pressurized water line and to install a triple element valve of the stacked poppet type where there is a central shaft and three poppet valves on on top of each other. Of these three poppet valves, two are normally closed and one is normally open. The pressurized water line outlet is normally closed and a water line to the mixing head is normally closed; a water drain line from a concentrate chamber to a drip tray or waste line is normally open. A separate single element normally closed valve is provided for Copping's concentrate outlet and is connected to yet another valve which opens the outlet for dispensing of mixed water and concentrate.
The gist of Copping's solution in U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,982 is that he provides a normally open outlet from a bypass line to a drain for exhausting used water from the syrup pump and he manually closes a water exhaust valve in combination with opening of water inlet and concentrate outlet valves, to pressurize a concentrate chamber and effect simultaneous dispensing of water and concentrate.
The apparatus and sequential operation of the device of U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,982 will, upon review of the patent, be realized as being costly, complicated and having many co-functional components needing to be correctly operatively synchronized together for proper operation as intended by Copping. Further, the device does not lend itself to a multiple flavor dispenser of beverages.